Passenger assist handles are installed in automobiles to provide a stabilizing grip location for vehicle occupants while entering and exiting the vehicle or while moving about in the vehicle. Assist handles are known in the forms of loops or bars that can be grasped by the individuals. In a further known design for passenger assist handles, the handle comprises a substantially rigid bar having legs at the ends thereof, with the legs being pivotally connected to mounting blocks attached to the frame, door posts or other interior structures of the vehicle. The handle can be free swinging from the mounting blocks or can be provided with a spring urging the handle toward a closed, stowed position. It is known to use dampers to control the movement of the handle that results from the force applied by the spring.
In prior known assist grip handle designs, a hinge was coupled to the assist grip through the use of a pivot pin, to provide the axis for the pivoting action of the assist grip handle. Such prior designs were successful in most situations and for most purposes, but did include certain disadvantages in some situations. For example, prior assist grip handle assemblies having pivot pins required numerous individual components, and as a result have been cumbersome and complex to assemble on account of the need for installing the pivot pin. Increased complexity for assembly and installation increases the cost for providing such passenger conveniences in automobiles.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,103,939 entitled “PIN-LESS DAMPER ASSEMBLY FOR AN ASSIST GRIP HANDLE” issued on Sep. 12, 2006, and discloses a damper assembly provided in a handle assembly that does not require the use of a pivot pin. The damper assembly can be snap fit to the assist grip handle assembly to provide control of the rotational movement of the assist grip handle. Accordingly, tools are not required for assembling the assist grip assembly, and the assembly can be performed efficiently.
Known pin-less assist grip handle assemblies have been satisfactory for the intended use thereof. However, it is sometimes desirable to use very soft, compliant materials for various portions of the assist grip assembly. In some situations, the softer, less rigid materials in a pin-less assembly can bend or deflect to the point where disassembly or partial disassembly occurs, rendering the assembly inoperative. Further, the forces applied by the biasing spring even when the handle is in the stowed or non-use condition can cause softer materials to deflect slightly, thereby causing misalignment and unsatisfactory performance of the handle. Also, during the installation and assembly process, the spring assembly may be pressed past its intended location and out of the proper operating position. Still further, when the assist grip is extended in any manner during normal operation, the force of the spring can cause twisting of the softer materials, again causing misalignment and functional inadequacies.
Accordingly, it is desirable to retain the advantages of pin-less assemblies, even for use with softer, more compliant materials and to enhance the locating and strength features of the assembly.